ComputerWorld Publishes Comments from RESCUECOM CEO on Everex Linux PCs

RESCUECOM Comments Used in Article on Linux Laptops

COMPUTERWORLD
By Agam Shah
November 2, 2007:


Everex to launch sub-$300 Linux notebooks next year

US vendor to follow up $200 Ubuntu desktop

After introducing a $198 (£100) Linux desktop this week, PC vendor Everex said it will bring Linux laptops under $300 (£150) to users in the US next year.

The laptops will come with 12.1in to 17in screens and run the GOS version of OS, built on Ubuntu Linux 7.10. It will include icons providing one-click access to websites like Facebook and multiple Google web applications.

The company also plans to introduce other mobile devices like ultramobile PCs, said Paul Kim, director of marketing for Everex, a US subsidiary of Taiwanese firm First International Computer.

The notebooks will be introduced in the first half of next year, Kim said. The company provided no additional details, other than saying the mobile devices will be competitively priced.

The energy-efficient $198 Linux desktop from Everex, TC2502 Green gPC, was introduced in Wal-Mart retail stores on Wednesday. It runs on a 1.5GHz Via C7-D processor and comes with 512MB of RAM, an 80GB hard drive, a DVD player and an Ethernet port. It does not include a monitor.

"The intent of GOS is to take [Linux] to the consumer and do what Steve Jobs did with Mac OS X - to take an alternative OS and package it for the consumer," said David Liu, founder of GOS.

Microsoft's Windows Vista OS has done a lot of damage to the low-end PC market, so there is a great opportunity for a smaller and leaner OS, Liu said. Linux has come a long way and could grab an audience in the low-end market, Liu said.

More than the OS, for the end user it's more about the ecosystem of applications that can work, Liu said. GOS bundles applications in a coherent way that makes the OS easy to use, he said.

However, most people looking to buy a $199 machine will not know Linux, said David Milman, founder and CEO of Rescuecom, a US firm providing computer repair and support services.

"I don't see Linux to the masses as anything more than a way to facilitate Internet access and computing," Milman said. Economically-minded consumers looking to buy an Internet appliance will find the $198 Linux desktop a reasonable machine, Milman said.

The Linux desktop doesn't spell the end of Windows, either, Milman said. "Many people calling Rescuecom [for support] don't know what an OS is," Milman said. People will try to load Office on the desktop, and when it doesn't load, they will be disappointed and return the machine. That's going to be a challenge for Wal-Mart."

Wal-Mart's decision to carry the PC could boost sales of Windows-based PCs by capturing some mindshare and increasing traffic to the PC sales area, said Brian Paterson, vice president of marketing for ASI Computer Technologies, a computer hardware distributor.

Compared to Windows PCs, previous attempts by Wal-Mart to sell low-cost Linux-based Lindows and Microtel PCs were failures, Milman said.

Everex studied the Lindows and Microtel PCs and is confident its $198 PC will succeed. GOS Linux brings familiar Google icons and applications to users, which earlier PCs didn't have, Everex's Kim said.

With its Google-friendly interface, this PC is a good test for Google OS, if rumours of one being under development is true, Paterson said. "It's a perfect way to launch [Google OS] in a mistake-OK world," Paterson said.

The Everex TC2502 Green gPC desktop will be available in about 600 stores on a test basis, a Wal-Mart spokesperson said in an e-mail statement.

Google Reviews

Carli Wittkowski
Carli Wittkowski
in the last week
Amazing service! This is my first time with Rescuecom and I am extremely pleased. Great Customer se
...Amazing service! This is my first time with Rescuecom and I am extremely pleased. Great Customer service and so very helpful. I would most definitely recommend. less
Karen Beller
Karen Beller
a week ago
Rescuecom is excellent. I was scammed and Roy cleared my desktop. Excellent service and Roy was very
...Rescuecom is excellent. I was scammed and Roy cleared my desktop. Excellent service and Roy was very knowledgeable. Thank You. less
Robin Penick-Funderburk
Robin Penick-Funderburk
2 weeks ago
A hacker with the alias "DEATHRIDGE" entered a company Teams meeting via someone invited as a guest,
...A hacker with the alias "DEATHRIDGE" entered a company Teams meeting via someone invited as a guest, and started taking control of my computer and my life. They sent emails pretending to be me that really looked like they were coming from me. They tried to take control of our corporate bank accounts, added themselves as a user to my Microsoft account, and locked me out of my computer as my passwords no longer worked. My ability to run a telecom company ground to a halt, and all my company and personal information was at their fingertips. I felt so helpless, and I needed folks smarter than the hacker(s) to do battle for me. Our typical computer pros couldn't handle it, and neither could other "experts" I called. Lucky for me I called RESCUECOM, and they immediately got to work. They didn't complain though I was asking for help in the middle of the night, but immediately got to work and worked non-stop to restore everything and protect me going forward. The team at RESCUECOM are my knights in shining armor, and they're the absolute best! less
Krishna Kambhampati
Krishna Kambhampati
2 months ago
Roy was very helpful for fixing my booting issue. I called really late (10pm) and there was someone
...Roy was very helpful for fixing my booting issue. I called really late (10pm) and there was someone to answer my call. I would recommend them to anyone that needs tech support. less
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